Method of cutting disks from sheet-metal plates.



D. OBINSON.

METHOD OF CUTTING PROM SHEET METAL PLATES. APPLIUATION FILED JAN.15, 1909. 942, 1 04;, T I Patents 0. 7, 1909.-

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2 HTS-SH EEM 0? W 1). P. ROBINSON. METHOD OF CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1909.

T. i WN T n TM- l l I I Q WQQQfl G I Snventoz Q/Vdmmwo I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

DANIEL IP. ROBINSON, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

METHOD OF CUTTING DISKS FROM SHEET-METAL PLATES.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL P. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Cutting Disks from Sheet-Metal Plates, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the methods of cutting disks from rectangular sheets of metal with dies and has for an object to out said disk with a minimum amount of waste material and with a minimum number of operations.

Another object of the invention is to cut a series of disks from a sheet of metal with one end and one side gaged to position the sheet, and to cut or notch in the same operation, the other end, and side of the sheet to form ga ing surfaces having the same disposition re ative to the openings formed by the cut disk as the end and side by which the sheet was initially gaged so that either side or end may be used to position the sheet in subsequent cutting operations thereon.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration, the application of my method and an arrangement of dies for performing the steps of this method; Figure l is a View of a sheet metal plate, having a series of disks cut therefrom, in accordance with one step in my improved method, and also having one end and one side notched or cut to form gaging surfaces. Fig. 2isaview similar to Fig. 1, showing a series of disks cut in accordance with another step in my improved method. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a sheet of metal cut by still another step in my improved method. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the arrangement of dies for performing one step in the method. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bed plate, showing the arrangement of the female dies. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the head showing the arrangement of the male dies.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing an arrangement of the female dies, and the gage pins, whereby the second and third steps in the method may be performed.

In carrying out my method, a sheet of metal 1, is presented to a gang of dies so disposed relative to each other, that a series of disks a as herein illustrated, eight in num- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 15, 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Serial No. 472,433.

ber, are cut from said sheet of metal. The eight disks are arranged in three parallel rows crosswise the sheet, the outer rows containing three disks and the center row containing two disks. The center row is located substantially in the center of the sheet of metal. The sheet is so positioned relative to the dies by suitable gage pins indicated in dotted lines at 5, Fig. 1, that the disks 2, 2, are adjacent the side 3, of the sheet, and only sufiicient metal is left between the cut out portion and the side, to hold the edge,

intact. By a suitable gage also shown in dotted lines at 6, Fig. 1, the end 4, of the sheet is properly disposed relative to the cut out portions so as to leave suflicient metal for the subsequent cutting operations. At the same operation in which the disks a are cut from the sheet, the end of the sheet 7 is notched or cut as at 8, in order to form a gaging surface which shall be located the same distance from the openings formed by the cutting of the disks a, as the end 4 of the sheet is from said openings, that is, the distance y, Fig. 1, is the same as the distance 00. The side of the sheet 9 is also notched or cut to form gaging surfaces 10, which are disposed the same distance from the openings formed by the cut disks (4, as the side 3 is from the openings.

It will readily be seen that with the notched gaging surfaces 8 and 9, the sheet may be placed against the gage pins disposed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or either side or either end used for positioning the sheet and said sheet of metal will be positioned relative to a series of dies precisely in the same manner by gaging either end or either side, regardless of the size of the sheet. This cutting of the sheet so that either side or either end may be used for positioning the same, is very advantageous in subsequent operations, upon the sheet for the reason that although the sheet of metal is supposed to be of standard size, there is considerable variation in said sheets, and without the notched gaging surfaces which are accurately disposed relative to the openings 'formed by the cutting of the disk, it would be impractical to use either end or either side for positioning the sheet, other than the one first used.

In carrying out the above step in my improged method, any suitable punch may be use In Figs. 4 to G, I have shown an arrangement of dies for performing the above described operation. In these figures, the bed plate 11, is provided with a plurality of female dies 12, which are shown as disposed in three parallel rows with the dies in adjacent rows staggered relative to each other. Cooperating with said female dies, is a se ries of male dies 13, similarly disposed. The gage pins 5, 5, and 6, are disposed relative to the female dies so as to locate the sheet to be operated upon in the manner above described. The punching dies for notehing the side and end of the sheet are shown at 14, and are so disposed relative to the gage pins 5, 5, and 6, that the notched gaging surfaces, if the sheet be reversed end for end, in the plane of the sheet, will contact with said gage pins. The male notehing dies 14, are herein shown as slightly shorter than the male dies 13 for cutting the disks a, so that said disks a will be cut from the sheet prior to the notehing of the edges of the sheet, and while the sheet is held by the male dies, said edges are notched to form the gaging surfaces. After having cut a series of disks a from the sheet of metal, said sheet is presented to a second gang of dies wherein another cutting operation is performed. The arrangement of the second gang of dies is illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the sheet to be cut is shown in dotted lines. As herein illustrated the second gang of dies are ten in number, and are arranged in four parallel rows.

In Fig. 7, I have shown the female dies 15, which are so disposed relative to the gage pins 16, 16, and 17, that a series of disks 6, b, are cut from said sheet, which series of disks are arranged in three parallel rows in which the alternate rows are staggered relative to each other, and in which the end disks in alternate rows are located adjacent the side of the sheet, and also adjacent the end disks in the outer rows of the series of disks a. After cutting the series of disks Z) from the sheet of metal, the sheet is then reversed end for end, in the plane of the sheet and the notched gaging surfaces brought in contact with the gaging pins 16, 16, and 17 which properly position the sheet for a second operation of the same gang of dies. This second operation of the dies will cut from the sheet a series of disks 0, c, which are arranged in four parallel rows as herein illustrated. The disks in adjacent rows are staggered relative to each other, and the end disks in alternate rows are located adjacent the sides of the sheet and on the opposite side from the disks a from the disks 6.

By the above three operations it will be seen that I have cut from a sheet of metal, a plurality of disks which are arranged in parallel rows lengthwise of the sheet, and

which are staggered crosswise of the sheet leaving the concentrated portions of metal 8, s, 25, t, at the ends of the sheets. By this arrangement of the concentrated portions of waste material at the end of the sheet, it will readily be seen that there is very much less waste material than would occur if the disks were arranged in parallel rows cross wise the sheet and with the disks staggered in a direction lengthwise of the sheet, which would cause the concentrated portions of waste material to occur along the side of the sheet, and be greater in number than by my present arrangement.

I am aware that prior to my invention a sheet of metal has been cut with the disks arranged in parallel lines lengthwise the sheet as shown for example, in the patent to Lee #782,451, granted February 14th, 1905. I have however, been able by my improved method to cut this same arrangement of disks by three operations which in the patented device requires six operations including the shearing of the sheet to produce duplicate half sheets.

lVhile I have herein described my method as consisting in first cutting a series of eight disks and by subsequent operations cutting two series of ten disks each, it will be obvious that from certain aspects of the invention, the order or manner of cutting the disks is immaterial.

While my invention is especially adapted for cutting from a standard sheet of metal twenty-eight disks with a minimum amount of waste material, it is obvious that from certain aspects of the invention, the number of disks cut in each operation is immaterial so long the particular arrangement of disks in parallel rows crosswise the sheet in which the disks in adjacent rows are staggered, and in which the end disks in alternate rows having a certain relation to the sides of the sheet, and to each other, are

maintained.

The third operation above described, of cutting ten disks may be performed in the same apparatus as the second operation and in order to reverse the sheet, inasmuch as the sheet is turned in the plane of the sheet, it will only be necessary to withdraw the sheet part away from the punching dies, where it can be turned end for end and the other side and end brought against the gagranged in an odd number of parallel rows with the end disks in the outside rows, adjacent the sides of the sheet, and the disks in adjacent rows staggered relative to each other, cutting in another operation a series of disks arranged in an even number of parallel rows and having the disks in adjacent rows staggered relative to each other, with the outer disks in alternate rows located adjacent the sides of the sheet, and adjacent the end disks in the outer rows of the first named series of disks, and cutting in still another operation, a similar series of disks arranged in the same even number of parallel rows, and having a reverse disposition to each other, relative to the second named series of disks with the end disks in alternate rows located adjacent the side of the sheet, and adjacent the end disks in the outer rows of the first named series of disks, but on the opposite side thereof.

2. The method of cutting disks from a sheet of metal. with dies consisting in cutting in one operation, a series of eight disks, arranged in three parallel rows with the end disks of the outside rows adjacent the sides of the sheet and the disks in adjacent rows staggered relative to each other, cutting in another operation, a series of ten disks arranged in four parallel rows and having the disks in adjacent rows staggered re 'ative to each other, with the outer disks in alternate rows located adjacent the side of the sheet, and adjacent the end disks in the outer rows of the first named series of disks and cutting in still another operation a series of ten disks arranged in four parallel rows, and having a reverse position relative to each other relative to the second named series of disks with the end disks in alternate rows located adjacent the sides of the sheet and adjacent the end disks in the outer rows of the first named series of disks but on the opposite side thereof. 1

3. The method of cutting disks from sheet metal with dies consisting in gaging the sheet at one end and one side cutting therefrom a series of disks and cutting in the same operation gaging surfaces at the opposite end and opposite side, which gaging surfaces have the same relative disposition to the openings formed by the cut disks as the end and side by which the sheet is initially gaged, whereby either end or either side may be used to position the sheet for subsequent cutting operations.

4. The method of cutting disks from sheet metal, by a series of operations with a gang of dies consisting in gaging the sheet by suitable gage pins relative to said gang of dies, cutting therefrom a series of disks and cutting by the same operation gaging surfaces at the opposite side of the sheet from that engaging the gage pins, which gaging surfaces have the same relative disposition to the openings formed by the cut disks as the side by which said sheet is initially gaged, whereby either side of the sheet may be used to position said sheet for subsequent operations of said gang of dies.

5. The method of cutting disks from a sheet of metal by a series of operations, with a gang of dies consisting in gaging the sheet at one end and one side by suitable gaging members, cutting gaging notches in the opposite side and o posite'end which notches are disposed longitudinally of the side and end so that when said sheet is turned end for end, said notches will engage said gaging members and position said sheet whereby the openings formed in the sheet in the cutting of the disks by the different operations of a gang of dies, may be properly located relative to each other.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL P. ROBINSON. lVitnesses:

LoUIs C. KLERLEIN, R. H. HURLEY. 

